Hooked on Rug-Hooking!
Rug-hooking or latch-hooking is an easy project for all ages.
Our Brownie unit recently made these fun Girl Guide trefoil rugs at camp. This project takes quite a lot of time to prepare, but with some planning, they can become a wonderful Girl Guide craft that girls can keep for a long time.
They are perfect for Brownie age and up, and can be a perfect go-to craft at camp. Having a larger project for girls to work on independently during free-time, quiet-time or in the wee hours of morning is something we plan for every camp. Our girls were latch-hooking by flashlight at our camp a couple of weeks ago!
Older girls can count and hook for their pattern if they wish. However, younger girls need the pattern printed on the canvas mesh. The instructions below are for instant kits, directions, materials and sourcing materials.
Materials Required to make each Kit
1 x pattern printed latch-hook canvas (approximately 35 squares x 34 squares) 11 inches x 11 inches
1 x latch hook tool
651 x blue yarn (3 inch lengths) + extras
539 x white yarn (3 inch lengths) + extras
masking tape to bind edges
blue marker and paint to make pattern
scissors
3 inch piece of light cardboard (cereal box), folded in half; length-wise
resealable bags for yarn lengths
Preparing the Canvas
Cut canvas to 35 squares x 34 squares (11 inches x 11 inches will give room for edge and cuts)
Fold masking tape around all edges to bind
Count out and lightly mark outline with blue marker the Girl Guide Trefoil Pattern
Fill blue edges and trefoil with blue paint
Preparing the Yarn
Cut and measure a 3 inch wide x desired length cardboard (we used lengths of
approximately 4.5 inches)
Fold in half lengthwise to make each half-of-fold 1.5 inches
Begin wrapping yarn at one end, leaving a small tail, and pinch with fingers
wrap yarn around the length of cardboard until the end
cut through the wraps of yarn on the open side of the fold
each wrap will equal one strand, ie. 25 wraps = 25 strands
Note: To make counting easier, we marked the cardboard for 25 wraps
How to Latch Hook
There are a lot of videos out the to learn how to latch hook. Methods vary, but we found this the easiest for younger girls to learn.
Our Brownies, were pleasantly surprised that they could identify the knot we used as the 'Cow Hitch', which they have already learnt at a prior meeting!
(Right - 8 year old latch hooking in video!)
Sourcing
Latch Hook Tools & Materials
Canvas Mesh
The mesh was the hardest thing to find. Most stores only sell premade kits: mesh, pattern, and cut yarn lengths, with the tools sold separately.
In our region, we were able to buy the canvas mesh by-the-meter at Magifil {317 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, Gatineau (Hull) QC (Canada) J8Y 3Z1}, a yarn a needlework specialty store. Check with your local needle craft supply store, they can likely order it in for you.
We purchased 2.25 meters, at $23.50 (CAN) per meter. It made twenty. plus scraps, 11 inch by 11 inch individual canvases.
Yarn
Yarn is available at most craft stores. We purchased large skeins of #4 medium acrylic (16 oz) yarn. For this project one ball of the blue made enough for 8-9 kits. The white was nearly double that of the blue. We paid $11.72 (CAN) each skein.
Latch Hook Tools
Latch hook tools are available at most craft supply stores. We purchased ours at Walmart. They were $2.77 (Can) each, and were the cheapest price compared to other stores. We required 20+ tools and required the manager to order in the quantity we needed; it took a week.
Walmart Canada
Description: Rug Hook (yellow handle)
Code: 8801805
Brand: Love Knitting
Size: 16 cm / 6.25 inches
Thoughts
This was a fun project for the girls to make. The kind of craft that does not end up in the garbage a week after they make it, like so many others...
In total, each kit cost approximately $11.00 (CAN) each to make plus taxes. The costs were included in our camp fees.
In hindsight, we should have used a thicker gauge yarn (higher number than #4 medium) to make them fuller.
Our Guiders spent countless hours wrapping and cutting yarn lengths while binging on Netflix. In the future, I would definitely enlist the help of parents to cut the lengths of yarn for such a large group.
This was a project that had to be organized well in advance, and took a lot of preparation, but it was worth it.
My daughter is just about finished hers, and has decided to make a pillow out of it. We will sew a backing on the canvas, and bind it with some navy blue fabric. Pictures to come soon!